The Burgenstrasse strings together more than seventy castles and palaces from Mannheim through Heidelberg and medieval Franconia toward Nuremberg and the Czech border.
485 mi / 780 km
5 days
May to October
Easy
Right
Toll-free
Iconic stops
Heidelberg Castle
A romantic red-sandstone ruin above the Neckar and its historic university town.
Bad Wimpfen
A hilltop imperial town with a Staufer-era palace and timbered lanes.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
One of Europe's best-preserved walled medieval towns.
Nuremberg Imperial Castle
The commanding Kaiserburg over the old town of Nuremberg.
Bamberg
A UNESCO old town of canals, a hilltop cathedral, and smoked beer.
Stops on the map
Each numbered marker matches the list above, linked in driving order from 1 to 5. Hover or tap a marker to see the stop name, scroll to zoom, and download the map as an image.
Prefer turn-by-turn navigation? Open the full route in Google Maps with all 5 stops loaded as waypoints in driving order. It opens in a new browser tab.
Tolls & fees
German roads and autobahns are toll-free for cars. If you follow the route on into the Czech Republic, you will need a Czech motorway vignette.
No tolls to estimate
Enjoy the drive. Budget instead for fuel, ferries, and parking.
Traffic & road alerts
This is a relaxed cultural drive on ordinary roads. Popular stops like Heidelberg and Rothenburg get busy midday; start early and park in the signed garages.
Best maps & planning
Plan your drive and check the latest conditions with these trusted maps and official resources.
Driving tips
- Choose a handful of castles rather than all seventy. Heidelberg and Rothenburg are unmissable.
- Park in town garages, not the pedestrian old-town cores, and walk in.
- Many castles double as hotels or restaurants. Booking a night in one is a highlight.
Distances, tolls, and seasons are curated planning references and can change. Always confirm current tolls, opening dates, and closures with the official sources linked above before you travel.